TCP/IP has been well known as a communication protocol between devices. In TCP/IP, an IP address is used as information for identifying a device when communications between devices are performed. When TCP/IP is used, an IP address that is uniquely determined needs to be allocated to each device on a network.
As a method for determining an IP address of each device on a network, there is a method of providing an IP address to each device while avoiding duplication, recording the IP address in a recording device in each device, and using the recorded IP address at the time of starting the device.
Furthermore, as a method for determining an IP address of each device on a network, there is also a method of a RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol) (see, for example, Non Patent Literature 1). In the RARP, each device broadcast-transmits a RARP message to a network at a starting time. A RARP server on the network distributes an IP address to a transmission source device via the network in response to the RARP message.
Further, as IP-address distribution methods alternative to the RARP, there are BOOTP, DHCP or the like. Each of these mechanisms determines an IP address by distributing an IP address to a device.